November’s session in the BIC EAA series, will hear from expert speakers talking through the accessibility requirements for Alt Text for digital books. What is Alt Text, its purpose, why it’s important, how to do it, how not to do it, common pitfalls to avoid etc.

This webinar, designed to coincide with the European day for people with disabilities, will share messages from people across Europe. We will learn how people read with assistive technology, what difference the often small considerations in ebook creation can make, and the impact already being experienced of recent accessibility innovations in digital publishing. We’ll be answering the questions: What does accessibility really mean in practice? How do people with print disabilities read ebooks with assistive technology? How will the European Accessibility Act impact the lives of individuals?

In a fully accessible digital publishing ecosystem, lending platforms play a key role as they allow users to borrow ebooks through a mainstream library system in collaboration with publishers. To achieve full accessibility, everybody in the digital publishing supply chain has to play their role, including lending platforms that can play a vital role in this process whose role is central . These platforms enable users to access and borrow accessible ebooks produced by publishers, creating an integrated system within mainstream libraries.

This event offers the opportunity to connect with Francesco Pandini, who serves as the Project Manager and Training Manager at MLOL (MediaLibraryOnLine), Italy’s pioneering network of public, academic, and school libraries focused on digital lending. He will be available to answer questions, thus providing participants with a unique opportunity to gain insights and to deepen their understanding of the accessibility landscape enabling them to better serve all library patrons.